Taking in the Beast
by LMFranklin20
Summary: On an average food run, Dove, a budding graphic artist, is taken by a Hunter. She thought as a snack but apparently, he has other plans. OCsurvivor/OCHunter Rated M for mature.
1. Taken

A/N: Hey there folks. This is an L4D "Hunter" fanfiction, if you couldn't already tell. Feel free to R&R please but be warned, this story is for mature audiences only. I will be posting the XXX features on later on and will tell you in my normal notes to you.

Ok, have fun and no flames please. I write this because I want to and it entertains me so, if you don't like it, just gtfo! :3

Chapter One: Taken

Death pervaded the air, clinging to it with claws and angry, misshapen teeth. Dove moved through the streets as best she could. Her white office shirt, once pristine and flawless was stained with blood splatters and now hung in tatters just above her navel where a Common had ripped at it, trying to pull her close to its gaping mouth. Escape had been difficult but she had managed. Her pencil skirt, charcoal gray and matching the slippers she wore, was torn up the seam to allow for running, showing the darker outline of the control-top pantyhose she wore. Dove was a heavyset woman, hardly more than a size 14 in jeans and petite as well. Running was not her forte. Just days ago, she had been sitting in an office, having pleasant small talk with her newest flirt, Robert from Corporate Management. She had been hopeful, large gray eyes sparkling as she tried to win him over. Just an hour ago, she had smashed his head in with a bat as he attacked her. She shook her head and looked around. The streets seemed deserted enough and she stuck to the sidewalk as she carefully made her way towards her apartment building. A backpack, a recent acquisition, hung over her shoulders, packed to the brim with canned foods and bottled waters. Her apartment, of course, had lost its power and running water but that wouldn't keep her from surviving! Then again, her choice in clothing hardly spoke for her ability to maintain an apocalypse-friendly lifestyle. She merely grimaced at herself though, figuring she would have plenty of time to grab other clothes later. If she could just get to the relative safety of her barricaded apartment. In it, there were two other survivors, both men. And yet_ she_ had been sent out in search of food and water.

Ridiculous creatures, men.

Her foot crunched on a smashed can and she froze, eyes widening as she looked around wildly. There was a soft moan behind and to the left of her and she slowly turned, seeing a single Common Infected tilting its head at her. It gave another moan, almost questioning and then started to come towards her. Eyes widening, she started to run towards the building. It was no less than 100 feet away. Surely she could make it?

But the Common leaped at her, dragging her down by her knees and let out a horrid sound, a mix of howl and moan as it crawled up towards her, seeking the juicier meat of her intestines. She let out a shriek, swinging her bat down and hitting its shoulder, a harmless blow. She hauled back again as its hand reached out, landing on the edge of her shirt and yanking so that her pale blue bra was showing but she didn't hesitate, swinging again at the creature clinging to her hips now. She caught a glancing blow on its skull and it was flung to the side for a moment. She scrambled, trying to get up, only to be met by the sight of another Common.

A woman in her housedress that smelled faintly of cat piss. Dove yanked herself back as the woman stumbled forward, landing harmlessly on the concrete where she had been laying only moments before. She turned, making another dash and clumsily evaded the reaching arms of another shambler. She almost sprained her ankle but righted herself and, gathering all her physical courage, made a sprint for that large oak door. Something long and wet wrapped around her shoulders and started to move up. Her eyes widened in horror. She had seen this. They were called "Smokers" and strangled their prey. She let out a shriek, forcing an arm between the tongue and her neck as it started to yank on her. Her legs kicked out as she was dragged back, her shoulder slamming into the brick wall of the next building over. A shriek and howl alerted her to the presence of a Hunter. She looked around in horror, saw that she was now dangling in the air, a story up.

There was a small Horde starting and it reached for her with decayed hands and hungry faces. Above her, perched on the edge of the building, the Smoker looked down at her with a dull expression. These creatures were no longer human, no longer had any kind of intelligence about them. However, they had caught her. She struggled, her arm still between her throat and the Smoker's tongue. Its tip, wet and slimy, slid across her forehead and cheek and the Smoker tilted its head and seemed to smile. Her horrified shriek echoed through the empty street and was responded to with a loud screech. The Hunter, lithe and springy, leaped off the building across the street, landing with ease over her, holding onto a nearby window ledge to keep from falling. Its lower face was covered in blood, smeared across its mouth and the same for its hands and the chest of his hoodie. The rest of his face was hidden by shadow. It was, perhaps, the foulest thing Dove had ever smelled or seen.

It sniffed at her and then let out a howl as she was yanked past it by the Smoker. The Hunter snarled and grabbed her ankle, its claws digging in until she screamed with pain as it pulled it back towards her. Her arm-and then her neck-were going to be snapped if this kept up! And then, to her horror, another Hunter appeared. It hovered over the Smoker and then, with a swipe of claws, killed the other Infected. She dropped into the waiting Horde and the two Hunters dropped with her, smashing their Common brethren. They formed a circle around her, snarling at one another. She noted that one was larger with wisps of hair dropping out of his hoodie. Both still stank. Her ankle was grabbed again, claws tearing through the hose and flesh as she was yanked towards the first Hunter. He snarled and snapped at the larger Hunter who walked over her, covering her body with his and got right in the other Hunter's face. His vicious snarl rang through the street and she saw, between his legs, another Common crawling towards her.

One of its legs had been shot off by somebody and it was using its arms to pull itself forward. Its mouth, having lost a few teeth, was dark and slimy, open as it came towards her. Pure fear sank through her as she curled some, trying to both pull away from the Hunter holding her ankle and the Common grotesquely pulling itself towards her. She ended up curled under the second Hunter's chest as it snarled and snapped, whipping its arm and dragging its claws over the other Hunter's face. Suddenly, a shot rang out and she peered up, convinced that the men in her apartment had seen the attack and come to rescue her. Instead, a man in a black leather vest was aiming a shotgun at the Horde, saying something she couldn't hear. Her ankle was released but then something snatched her around the middle, throwing her over its shoulder and crouching. The ground was very close one moment and the next, she was soaring over it. It might have been a dream come true had she not left her stomach on the ground. Catching her breath, she let out a shriek, managing to form words in it as she was carried onto a rooftop by the Hunter.

"HELP MEEEEEEE!" She reached towards the survivor group as she saw the vested man shake his head and turn back towards the Horde. She once again found her stomach had left her as she sailed over rooftops, a terrible shriek sounding over her head as the Hunter carried her. She clutched its jacket as the gravel rooftop of a building came hurtling towards her and stopped only inches from her face. The Hunter crouched again and went flying through the air, fully extending his muscles to get the greatest possible distance. He had one steel arm banded over her thighs as he carried her and she realized she was his version of take-out. Her panic set in and she started to kick and scream, shaking her head, "Oh gods...oh no..no, no, no, no..." The last jump was so jarring her clip fell out of her brown hair, sending it tumbling into her face. She couldn't see anymore either. It was the last straw and she let out a horrible shriek, scrambling and fighting against the monster holding her. Tears flooded her face, dripping down her forehead and landing on his jacket, making dark little patterns. Finally, the jump-land-jump pattern stopped and the Hunter moved to a rolling gallop on his three free limbs. A rough panting sounded from inside the hood as he moved and then barreled through a small opening. It was barely enough to fit her, the top of the cinder block wall grinding against her ass as he pulled her through.

It left scratches through the fabric and she whimpered at the comparatively small pain. She knew what was coming. It would drag her into its den and devour her. Eviscerating her first and letting her watch as it ate from her like she was nothing but a bowl. A sob escaped her as the creature tossed her down on an old spring mattress. Her first reaction was to sit up, her second to curl up in the nearest corner and wait for Death to take her. She watched as it moved around the relatively small apartment flat. It was Utilitarian, nothing but a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a small den. And yet, she could barely tell through the smashed furniture and clawed walls. It seemed like a tornado with fangs and claws had gone through the tiny apartment. Clothes were shredded, furniture, if it still resembled furniture, was smashed or torn in half. Pictures had been torn off the walls, the frames strewn everywhere, glass shards decorating the floor like a picasso painting.

The Hunter had moved off, into the den where it squatted on the floor, a pile of magazines surrounding him. He had one in hand, slowly tearing out a page and then finding a new one. He did it over and over but the entire time, his hood was turned towards her. It was the Hunter with the longer hair. The tips of dark brown hair hung past his shoulders, some clotted with blood and others simply greasy from lack of hygiene. She sat curled in her corner, tense and ready to be attacked. Her trembling limbs were prickling with goosebumps as she stared back at him. It was confusing, seeing the Hunter just staring at her. Maybe he wasn't hungry? Maybe he was keeping her to snack off of whenever he pleased so he didn't have to go through the trouble of hunting? Oh gods, what was this thing going to do with her?

Hunter's P.O.V.

She sat in the corner, like a frightened animal. She was nothing more than that.

Kill

Feed

Anger

Blood

His shoulder twitched. The virus was painful but his curiousity overrode the commands screaming in his head. His fingers found another glossy page and ripped it out. He wanted nothing more than to destroy everything around him. He had done enough with the den. He needed more. He needed violence. The creature before him had displayed it while fighting for her life. Why wasn't it now attacking him? Provoking him? Giving him a reason to explode upon it? His hands itched with the need for confrontation.

Kill

Feed

Anger

Blood

His head twitched sharply, cocking to the side and the creature jumped in response. He watched carefully, without seeing as it curled its legs up close to its chest. Arms wrapped around legs. Such a frail creature now that he was fully in its presence. He could sense that it had no fight in it, that it was a creature with fleeting instincts that no longer worked properly. A sense stirred in him. He felt the need to see this creature like him. To have it act on its instincts. He tilted his head and his muscles stirred as he skittered towards it quickly. It let out a soft screech, curling up tighter as he leaned in close. He sniffed. It smelled so...odd. Floral. Disgusting floral scent. He snapped his teeth at the creature and then butted his shoulder against it. It was leaking again, letting out little cries and whimpers as it moved in the direction he wanted it to. Eventually, it laid down and he laid behind it and started rolling. He sprawled his arms and legs, rolling his shoulders, chin, and jaw against it. He found its mane, a thick mane of a rich color and buried his face in it, rubbing his scent all over it. It would no longer be this weak creature. He would teach it to use its instincts properly. He would teach it to survive as he did. First step, to make it smell right.

A/N

Hahahahaha! I had so much fun writing the end of this chapter. Hunters are just like big wild cats. If it doesn't smell right, rub against it! Or eat it. Whichever one comes first.

Anyways, please R&R, that would please me greatly. I also have this story up on Deviantart under the username LMFranklin18. (I've had that account for awhile)

So, let me know what you guys think and where I could take this story next!


	2. Hurt

Ch. 2: Hurting

The Special Infected are a curious lot. Firstly, there's the Boomer, a disgustingly obese creature that spews a vision-impairing bile upon humans and sometimes lesser infected. It explodes upon death and the bile it emits attracts what is fondly referred to as "The Horde". A large group of zombies. Next is the Smoker. A beast with a tongue so long it can wrap around a person more than five stories away. It reminds most people of an ugly boil-covered frog. It too, emits a vision-obscuring toxin upon death. Then you have the Witch. Normally, she's actually quite harmless. But disturb her and you run the risk of becoming sushi at the hand of her talons and wrath. Let us not forget the famous Tank, a grotesquely muscular Infected capable of ripping up pieces of asphalt to throw. Cars, walls, anything is a weapon in the oversized fists of the Tank. They are very hard to kill.

And then there's the Hunter. Perhaps the most human of the Special Infected and perhaps the most dangerous of them all. His abilities, though limited in strength, are many in number. Leaping and climbing, able to vault across impossible distances, he is considered the "Parkour" or "Freerunner" of zombies. He possesses teeth mutated to the point of resembling shark's teeth and fingers and claws that have lengthened and become everything that defines deadly. Curiously, this particular Infected is blind, having either scratched his eyes out or simply lost their use due to the Green Flu virus. His screech and what can only be described as joy in hunting and leaping and romping about is reknowned. He defies everything that a zombie is supposed to be.

Perhaps that's why Dove found herself lying next to a sleeping Hunter instead of already having been eaten. She lay with wide eyes, her body tense against that of the large Hunter spooning her. She was shocked senseless, so many thoughts running through her head but the only one that really came to the forefront was, 'I can't believe that zombies snore...'

And indeed, his mouth-permanently stained with blood-was right next to her ear as he snorted and bellowed in his sleep. She could feel her own exhaustion but her fear overrode it, keeping her awake and alert. She could hear, beyond his snores, the soft moaning and shambling of the Lesser Infected down in the street and, not too far off, the crying and whimpering of a Witch. Her hands twitched as he shifted behind her, tucking her in closer against his chest and stomach. He let out a yawn and nuzzled her ear before tucking his head some and pressing into the curve of her neck and shoulder. Her heartrate beat a war drum's pace as she tensed further. He never bit though. He did, however, drool.

Shifting uncomfortably, she found that he moved easily. He was loose and fluid in his sleep, even more so than in his waking state. Excited at this discovery, she gently moved his arm from around her waist and sat up slowly. He remained asleep, shifting to lay on his other side, facing away from her. He found a mangled pillow and hugged it to his body as he snorted and his foot started kicking. Part of her lip curled as she shook her head at him. Really? This was the big bad Hunter?

She stood and began looking around, finding nothing of use in the immediate area. Her exploration revealed that some drawers and cabinets in the kitchen, those that were still intact, contained silverware, cooking utensils, and a junk drawer. The cabinets held canned foods, quite a stockpile of them, pre-packaged foodstuffs and drink mixes. She blinked in surprise and turned to glance at the Hunter. Had he lived here before he turned? Had he been stocking up because he thought he wouldn't turn? Or had this been someone else's home? Someone else's hard-earned work that he had simply invaded and ruined of his own accord?

An anger started to burn in her chest as she looked at his sleeping form. He had swatted at something on his face and accidentally slapped himself, startling himself out of sleep for only a moment. He grunted and laid back down, quickly falling back to sleep and snoring just as loud as ever. She shook her head again as she curled her lip. This creature was no longer human. Would never be human again and didn't retain any sort of human qualities. She looked back through the drawers and found a meat mallet and a large knife. She raised both and slowly approached him, her weapons ready. She would put him out of his misery.

_'Nothing human...? He hasn't killed you yet, has he?'_

She paused in shock. She hadn't used her conscience in quite awhile. She looked at the back of the sleeping Hunter and hesitated. Guilty conscience? Yes. He hadn't killed her and he had her in a place that, honestly, was probably safer than any safe room she had ever encountered on her own. Her hands started to shake. There was nothing human left in him...right?

It took her a moment to notice that all was quiet. He was no longer snoring. Instead, he was laying on his back, seemingly awake and staring at her. His hands released the pillow and it fell to the side at the same time his arms went to either side of his body. Her eyes widened as she looked down at him. He was offering himself, laying out before her like he was an offering to the gods. Her hands shook, too much for her to hold the weapons. They drop to her side, the knife edge catching her thigh and bringing a small gasp of pain from her. In a flash, the Hunter was crouching in front of her, cradling her leg. A hand cupped the back of her thigh and his other hand held her calf, just below the knee as he examined the tiny wound. He let out a growl, as in disapproval at her handling such dangerous weaponry as he plucked at the mostly ruined hose she wore.

She let out a soft yelp, pushing his hand away, "D-don't...that hurts.." As if he would care. He leaned his head down, sniffing at the wound and then took a lick up it, sending tingles and chills all over her body. He was tasting her. Oh gods, this was it, he was ready to eat her. Her hands dug into his shoulders as she tried to push him back but he pressed closer and continued licking. He was making small greedy sounds and then growled when she pushed a little too hard. She felt a veil of tears cover her eyes as she shook her head, "No, oh please no...not like th-this..." She hiccuped and then let out a loud scream when he set teeth in her flesh. It seemed to startle him and he pulled back, fresh blood dripping from his chin.

His hood stayed focused on her, his lips parted and shaped vaguely into an "O" of surprise. He released her leg and tucked his hands into his chest, as if starting to feel guilty as she clutched at the new wound. To her absolute shock, he let out a soft whine and butted her other knee with the back of one hand. She scrambled back, clutching her legs to her chest, ignoring the pain of her leg as he crawled towards her, letting out soft whimpers and whines. She shook her head, holding out her hand, "N-NO! GET AWAY!"

He flinched and backed up, crouching a few feet away as he studied her. She had been right. There was nothing human about the thing sitting in front of her. She should have killed him when she had the chance, not hesitated because of her stupid conscience arguing his humanity. If she hadn't stopped him, he would be eating her leg right then!

What had she gotten into?

Hunter's P.O.V.

He had hurt her. The small female was cowering in a corner _again_. What could he do? He had tasted her blood, so coppery but good. Her flesh under his tongue had been a near erotic experience for him. And he had bitten down, just to feel her skin give for that single moment. And she had screamed in pain, shocking him out of his reverie. But hadn't she been ready to end him? Hadn't he welcomed it? An end to the constant anger and pain? The constant hunger he felt for those who were alive or even for those shambling parodies of life? His stomach growled and he watched her eyes grow wide in fear of him and her limbs tremble in revulsion. He would hunt. But he would return and he would have this female curling against him like he felt she should.

He made a tremendous leap, bounding through the window and to the building next to his. He scrambled up the wall and leapt from rooftop to rooftop. His claws found a pipe that snapped under his weight and flung him onto the windowsill of the next building over. He felt free at times like this. Running and leaping across his city at speeds incomprehensible to most creatures except his own kind.

Two other Hunters joined him, leaping and tumbling in amazing acrobatic feats. They seemed to revel in it, letting out loud screeches and howls before pausing and listening. A gunshot had sounded in the distance, signifying fresh meat. Fresh prey.

He crouched on the edge of the building, the two other Hunters flanking him. They recognized his rank, his size and power. He scented the air and let out a low fierce growl the others imitated. They looked at him excitedly, one actually bouncing on its haunches. He let out another growl and launched himself into the air, heading for the survivors. He hesitated only long enough to take in the scene. A Horde had caused chaos and disarray in a large group of survivors. Several stragglers were trying to cut their way through the Horde to get to the saferoom that the others had already entered. A woman was waving her hand, encouraging her fellows.

There was no hope for them. Especially when he pounced on the largest, a male of stocky build with long blonde hair. It hardly mattered though when his teeth ripped through the jugular, his claws hacking and clawing until the meaty juice of the inner chest was exposed. Oh yes, that was spectacular! The other two Hunters tried to join in his kill but he snarled at them, making it clear they were to get their own. They sulked off but one managed to bring down a survivor and shared with his companion. It suddenly occured to the Hunter that the two were mated. He sat up, watching them as he started to clean himself with his sleeves.

The larger one, the male presumably, crouched close to his female, occasionally nipping at her when she got too close to where he was eating. She would nip back but then butt her shoulder against his, as if playful or some such. He watched a moment longer and found his missapen thoughts turning to the female in his den. Could she possibly become that for him? He had been so lonely. So very lonely and the virus eating at his brain only made it worse. His claws dug into the corpse before him and he turned to look at it, as if asking, "Can I make her that?"

Dove's P.O.V.

He was going to eat her. He was going to make her into his dinner! He had left with screeches and caterwauling and she was still sitting in the corner, trembling and shivering as blood dripped down her hip. Finally, after an hour, she stood and walked into the half-destroyed bathroom. She found a first aid kit spread across the floor beneath the two sinks and started to patch herself up. Afterwards, she paused and glanced at the double sink. Had whoever lived here been alone or been with his girlfriend? His fiance or wife? She shook her head, deciding, finally, that perhaps her thoughts were better directed toward her own well-being.

She began looking around again, searching for any way to get out. She couldn't get through the boarded up door or the windows. They were all too high up for her to risk jumping from them. The door she couldn't go through because to tear down the boards would make alot of noise and attract all sorts of Infected to her. Was her only option really to stay here with a depraved madman of a Hunter? She shook her head and started exploring the bedroom. To her surprise, she found several VHS tapes, all home tapes. After a few more moments, she was able to find one of those old tiny t.v.'s with the built in VCR. She plugged it in, not expecting it to work and was shocked when it did. She looked around the little apartment and blinked, remembering that she had seen a few lights on in it when he had carried her in.

Perhaps the building had its own generator? How long would that last? Probably not more than a week or so. If she could find it and fix it up, maybe longer! What was she thinking, trying to fix up a generator so she could stay here?

She rolled her eyes and popped in the first tape, labelled, "Family 1". The camera zoned in on a pink door decorated with blue and green flowers and circles. The cameraman pushed it open and a teenage girl with bright blonde hair sat on a brightly decorated bed. It was covered in stuffed animals and scraps of fabric. The girl didn't notice him for a moment and then let out a screech, turning on him. "What are you doing in here Ralph? Get out!" She threw a pillow and "Ralph", the cameraman, ducked to avoid, a dark giggle coming from behind the view. He got out of dodge quickly and she was left with a bit of vertigo as the camera moved awkwardly and finally faced someone. Whoever it was wasn't doing too well keeping the camera focused. She got a look at a very scraggly looking chin, long and angled. A cupid's-bow mouth was curved up, showing slightly unusual teeth, though they were very white and clean. Occasionally she got a glimpse of flared nostrils but nothing higher.

Overall, he seemed to be a very handsome young man.

"That was my sister, Annalise which is of German origin meaning 'grace'. I highly disagree with my parents' naming techniques," he let out another low chuckle and turned the camera onto a dining room where two older-looking people were sitting. One was a woman with dark auburn hair who turned a beaming smile on the camera, the same cupid's bow mouth of the cameraman. The man had the same jaw though and even for an older man, he was quite handsome. He had an angled face and his slightly silvered hair was cut short, ruffled from morning sleep. He peered at the camera through thick frames, his eyebrow shooting up, "What are you doing Ralph?"

"I just figured I'd document stuff from now on. You know, with the way the world is, there's no telling when something could happen to one of us."

The mother frowned, her brows furrowing, "Don't talk like that. You'll jinx us. Turn off the camera and come get some breakfast."

The camera shifted some, seeming to droop. It occured to Dove that the camera was at a very high angle, something she wasn't used to. The cameraman had to be tall. "But Moooooooom..." The woman cringed and glared at the camerman, "Do it again...go ahead..." She stood threateningly and a nervous laugh came from Ralph as he started to back, "N-now Mom...Calm down. C'mon Moooooom..."

The woman launched herself after him and he turned, running for the stairs, cackling loudly. "Aaaaaaaaaaaah! She's gonna eat me!" The camera went tumbling to be faced with quite the scene. The tall gangly man had been tackled by his mother. She was straddling him and had proceeded to dig and wiggle her fingers in his ribs. After a few minutes, the camera was turned off.

Dove blinked at the black screen and only after a few minutes did she realize that she could see the Hunter squatting in the corner of the room on the screen's reflection. She jumped, her skin seeming to crawl as she turned to face him. She began an explanation of her actions and then stopped, remembering what he had done to her. She curled up some, starting to stand slowly. He let out a rumbling growl, standing with her. He was tall, towering over her at nearly 6'4". His shoulders were surprisingly wide under his hoodie and his body seemed lankie. He was the guy with the camera, she had no doubt. He had the same squared but angled jaw and the same lush mouth though it was bloodstained. They stood facing each other, his hood ducked to look at her. She could feel him sizing her up.

At 5'1" and 165 lbs, she wasn't much of a threat. Too many nights of Chinese take-out and horror flicks left her in anything but her peak physical condition. She had taken her pantyhose off to bandage herself and stood only in her grimy, ripped skirt and the last shreds of a stained and wrinkled white shirt. Her shoes had been lost somewhere along the piggy-back ride across the city.

He approached her slowly and she found herself flinching back. Gods, she was such a coward. She stilled herself, bracing for whatever came. He lowered his bloody maw and sniffed at her. Specifically her hair. He didn't touch her, just sniffed curiously. His nose trailed down, bumping against her ear and she couldn't help but jump when he snorted against her ear, letting out a strained giggle. It had tickled! He reared his head back and his nose twitched as he seemed to study her from under his hood. He dropped to all fours and started crawling over to the door. He glanced back at her and she got the message.

_Follow._

She did so, her feet padding over the floor softly. He crawled into the main room, where he kept the mattress and his semi-formed nest. He nudged a bag and she was surprised to see stuff you would swipe off of store counters. She was even more surprised to see it was all women's stuff. He had gathered shampoo, soap, and for some reason a hairnet. There were other small things, all stuff you would find on the same aisle. She laughed a little when she found a child's Spongebob toothbrush. He seemed affronted and drew his head back with a low hiss. It seemed that he wasn't going to kill her though.

_'Just taste me here and there,' _She thought with a glance to her thigh.

He seemed to sense her thoughts and crawled to her, rubbing the back of his hand over her knee. She couldn't help but wonder why he was keeping her. She looked him over and hugged herself, rubbing her arms. "Its a little drafty in here, what with the window and all," she gestures towards it and he cocks his head, looking between it and her. He tilted his head the other way, his nose twitched and then his nostrils flared. He gave a growl and leaped, landing on the sill of the window. He looked around and then looked back at her and she realized that he thought there was something outside.

Hunter's P.O.V.

The female had indicated an intruder. Where was it? Gone? Gone, gone, gone. Hmm..perhaps she had been mistaken? He leaped back down, landing in front of her and she flinched only slightly. It was progress though. He scrambled up to her and butted his head against her shoulder and she let out a soft sound. Her hand was shaking as she reached up but she began stroking my head, her hand resting over the hood. He let out a deep rumble and pressed more into her hand, telling her it was ok. So long as she didn't let the light in, he would be ok.

A look seemed to cross her face as she looked at him. He knew she could see nothing of who he was. What he was. What was he? Was he a him? Was he an it? He blinked, his thoughts confused and twisting in circles. Over and over.

Next thing he knew he was laying on the floor, his stomach bared and she was scratching it over his clothes. It felt good. He was starting to feel itchy all over and wanted her to scratch. He rolled over onto his stomach so she could scratch his back which she did. It felt so good. She went back to scratching over his hood and he groaned loudly, it feeling so good. He shifted and then pressed his head into her lap. He nuzzled her thigh where he had bitten her and felt her tense under his head and shoulders. He knew he had hurt her. So bad, so bad. He whimpered softly and rubbed his nose over the wound, making her flinch but she didn't back away. He could smell the fear-food scent though and he let out a rumbling growl. It spiked and she flinched under him. But his little female-brave stilled herself, her thighs trembling. She didn't try to escape though.

Such a female-brave! He rewarded her by sitting up and pressing her to his chest. He nuzzled her head and shoulder, giving her shoulder a small nip. She jerked then and he couldn't help his bemusement. He slid his jaw over the curve of her shoulder, starting to become a bit intoxicated with her scent. It was changing with her moods. It was softer, covered by his own scent but he could still like her smell. It was much better than those shambling dead things in the streets. He was starting to truly like her scent. He sat back to look at her. His vision, while blurred slightly and more grey and white than color wasn't totally gone. He could see her shape, put things together with touch. He liked how she looked and how she felt. His hands found a soft waist and he heard her soft gasp. He was dragging her towards him and her eyes widened as he tucked her in against his chest and stomach. He shifted and wiggled until his back was against the wall, her cradled in her lap. This he could get used to. Was this why he was keeping her? Why hadn't he eaten her?

Why, why, why, why, why...

He didn't really care, curling around her fully. Holding her, cradling her had him feeling oddly sad. There was a hollow feeling in his chest and she was filling it. Or at least making it less painful. That's why he was keeping her. She made him not hurt as much. She mad him feel...better.

A/N

Hello there folks! I'm surprised at how well this story was received! Let me give a shout-out to Shisumi12 and Angel Ayame for their reviews!

Lol, yeah, I've been a victim of Highschool of the Dead's ecchi scenes Shisumi. But, I have fun with it and I have fun with these characters so oh well! If anyone doesn't like it, too bad for them.

Ayame, thank you so much for being my first reviewer!

And also thanks so much to everyone whose put me on story alert! I really can't put into words how much that means to me.

Thanks, and I'll see you guys next chapter!


	3. Playtime

Dear gods but the Hunter was warm. Ralph, Ralph was warm. She had to keep reminding herself to call him by his name. He was no longer just "the Hunter". He was Ralph and he had been alive and he had had a family. Probably a girlfriend, maybe even a wife or fiance. She glanced down and saw no ring on his finger, though he may have lost it during his change. Still, looking like he had, there was no way that he didn't have _somebody_.

But here he was, wrapped around her like a child whose found his teddy bear. She would try to get away but to be perfectly honest, it felt good to have someone hug her and just coddle her. After so many months of just being on the run and trying to survive that there had been no time for affection or romance.

Romance?

She had not just thought that. It was not a real thought. It had not formed completely in her head. Pursing her lips and furrowing her eyebrows, she tried furiously to dispell the traitorous thought. The only thing that happened was that she got sudden mental images of him bounding across a flower field on all four's. She shivered unconciously and he huffed, looking down at her curiously. His mouth was bloodied again and she wrinkled her nose at the now familiar smell. He needed a bath. He hadn't killed her yet so maybe she could survive trying to give him one. Hell, _she_ needed a bath. But how to get him into one?

How to get that hoodie off of him? Could it even come off? It was taped to his arms pretty tight. Strong wiry arms that had big square hands, calloused from the constant Freerunner act. Now that she studied them, she noticed that the "claws" were really just very thick, slightly curved nails. They were thick enough to imitate maybe a dog's claws and had been slightly hollowed out on the underside. The fingers had mutated though, the bones lengthening and the muscles a little harder in his fingers and hands then what she was used to. She hadn't noticed til then that she was physically holding his hand and turning it this way and that to study. Ralph looked at her oddly from under his hood and she could practically sense him saying, "What the fuck are you doing?"

Instead, he gave a soft growl, questioning and pulled his hand away. He grabbed her thoughs, a little too rough while handling her but not so much that she had to pull away. He was doing the same thing to her, apparently studying her hand. But his studying turned into a sniffing session. She could feel her face falling at it, "Is that the only way you can get familiar with things? Sniffing them?" He gave a quiet grunt and released her hand, turning his hood up to face her. His nose was inches away and she could, again, _feel_ him studying her. Even so close, the shadows under his hood hid his face from his nose up. She could feel her heart begin to thunder faster as his hand came up, cupping her chin. He turned her face gently this way and that. A little too gently, as though afraid he might hurt her.

She was embarassed though, knew she was covered in grime and dirt and that her hair was greasy and knotted from lack of care. But what would that matter to him? He was even worse off. She could see lanks of his dark, dark hair hanging in front of his face and some even sliding out of his hood and onto his chest. He had _long_ hair. She bit her lip and remembered that her last boyfriend had had the same kind of hair, long and wavy, like some ancient Celtic warrior. Except Ralph had perfectly straight hair and it wasn't sunshine yellow like her last boyfriend's. She wondered, absently, what color it would be if she were to wash it.

He sniffed at her cheek and she frowned. The sniffing again. It made me think of some lyrics from a Lady Gaga song. What was it again? Oh yes...

_"He's a wolf in disguise..."_

It made me shiver some, imagining the Hunter before me like a wolf. It was very fitting except Hunters didn't normally move in packs. Maybe he was more of a large cat? I didn't really care at the moment. He'd found the sweet spot behind my ear, making me whimper some and lean forward, much to my own shame. He seemed interested in my new reaction and pressed as much of his face as he could against _that_ spot. I felt a shiver go up my spine. He knew what he was doing!

Hunter's P.O.V.

Interesting, interesting, interesting. The female seemed to like this. She pressed closer every time he sniffed at this spot. He noted it, behind her ear. Such a cute ear. How was an ear cute? He didn't know but her's was. He licked it and it sent her into a fit, whimpering as she tried to back away, eyes wide. Why was she leaving? She enjoyed it, yes? Oh yes, yes, yes.

He had found something to tease her with. He grabbed her ankle, pulling her back towards him and she let out another yelp. He was finding that he quite enjoyed those yelps. She tried to flail, really only flinging her arms in several different directions. He leaned over her, trapping her torso with his arm as he buried his face, once again, into that spot that made her tremble and whimper. He laid down next to her, keeping his face happily in that spot. She tried to turn her face and he noticed that she was scowling furiously at him. She made those odd sounds again, obviously directed at him though none of her sounds really seemed all that upset. More like she was pouting.

He watched with a small amount of amusement as she tried to escape him. His arm was still around her, preventing any escape and she was foolish to even think about it. A fuzzy memory came to him, a way to let others know that she was his. What was it? His hand shifted to start tracing around her neck, the dangerous tips of his claws barely touching her skin.

What, what, what, what, what, what...

A new scent hit his nose, like a smack to the face. A musky scent and he shifted his attention. He followed the scent down her belly and that's when she let out a little scream, pushing his head away full force. He blinked in shock and turned to stare at her. What was her problem? He wanted to follow the scent but she wouldn't let him. And, also, walking felt funny. He glanced over himself, wondering why and couldn't readily see anything different. Then he noticed an odd protrusion in the front of his groin. He blinked in confusion and sat down on his haunches, looking down at it and then poking it. He blinked when it sent a little shock of pain up his spine, making him yelp.

Her face was a mix of indignance, hilarity, and horror. He glared at her. She had done this somehow or other. The human, doing weird stuff to his body. Well, he'd teach her, wouldn't he! He wouldn't pay her the least bit of attention until she apologized! He pointedly turned his back, scratching at the ground and then leaping up to the window sill. He perched there, glaring outside even though there was nothing to look at but the wall of the building next to his. He occasionaly turned to glance at her but she seemed unaffected. Stupid human.

Dove's P.O.V.

She couldn't believe he had gotten a boner and _poked_ it. Like it was some odd growth on his body. She was stuck between wanting to cry and wanting to erupt in laughter. Either would do her no good. After a few moments, it seemed that Ralph wasn't going to move from his perch and that he was ignoring her. Fine, that suited her just fine.

She decided, after a few more minutes of him ignoring her, that she could no longer live in such an enviroment. She began to pick up, cleaning as best she could though some things were beyond her abilities. Such as the sofa that had been ripped nearly in half. Or the kitchen where drawers and cabinets had been ripped out or off. She did her best though and by the time she was done, she was actually quite satisfied.

Her joy at finding running water was nearly audible as she danced around the kitchen. She began to hum, oblivious when the Hunter had left his post at the window and started to follow her. She found a bucket and some cleaning products under the sink and got to work on the kitchen. He took one sniff a the bottle of Clorox Clean-up with Bleach, gave an offended shriek, and scrambled to the other side of the room. He hissed quietly at her in a corner and she could feel him glaring at her from under his hood. It was less than comforting.

She shrugged it off though and began cleaning. He let out another outraged shriek, shooting up to his full height and inspecting this new situation. He made her jump several times with grievious shrieks and by clutching his head in despair. Finally, she got fed up with it and threw a rag at him. He gave her an offended growl, lifting one hand as he stood on his other three limbs. "If you're going to be so whiney, go to another room!"

He looked completely taken aback and growled lowly at her and then crooned at her, a curious sound. She blinked, wondering what trick this was but slowly approached him, "What is it...?" He leaped on the counter, knocking over her bucket of hot water and then leaped over the counters and onto the top of the fridge, taking a flying leap off of it and then tumbling into the living room. She gaped at him in horror, glad he had basically thrown the bucket into the sink but appauled at his actions. Her fury was quick and oh-so-mighty. She began throwing towels and rags at him, whatever soft thing her hands could find. She didn't want to hurt her only provider here. But still!

"Oh, you...you filthy Hunter, you!" Surely it was the oddest situation anyone could ever have seen. This chubby young woman chasing a Hunter around the apartment, picking up and throwing the nearest object at him and missing horribly. He bounded around, literally bouncing off the walls with shrieks and growls, knocking over things and flipping them out of the way. By the time it was all said and done, Dove stood in the middle of the den, amongst a pile of torn and shredded magazine pages with her hands and on her knees and panting. The Hunter sat not ten feet from her, peering at her from under his hood. She swore if he had a tail...he would be wagging it.

The damned Hunter would get his.

"I swear...I am going to give you a bath when you least expect it...and you will be clean!" He looked affronted, drawing his head back sharply and giving an audible almost sarcastic gasp. Her eye twitched as he gave another shriek, tossing his arms up over his head and sending a pile of magazine pages flying into the air. She blinked and remembered when she had had a cat as a child, it would often have what she called "Spaz Cycles" where it would fly around the room, jumping and leaping over things and bouncing against walls. Was this the Hunter's version of that? He certainly wasn't done, letting out loud shrieks and caterwauls, at one point hanging upside down from a light fixture which promptly broke and sent him tumbling to the ground. He landed, not unsurprisingly, on all four's with a little growl. The light fixture swung back and forth by a wire and she just glared furiously at the Hunter.

Hunter's P.O.V.

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

The female wanted to play! She was chasing and tagging! She was trying to keep up but, silly thing, she should know better! He was a Hunter, nothing could catch up with him or even try to, much less a silly human like her. The bad-smelling things she had had before were gone now, having tumbled over when he started the game. She was also giving him a dirty-as-sin look. He cocked his head when she muttered something and he recognized only one word.

"Bath"

Images of the white room popped into his head, bubbles and water combining to make an odd fragrance that he did _not_ approve of. She would certainly be giving him no bath. He wouldn't accept it! When he flung the shiny paper at her, she had let out a growl at him, though he didn't think she realized it. She had stopped chasing, was she done with the game? He still wanted to play! He slapped his palms against the floor, his hind quarters raised slightly as he looked at her. She sneered and said something else, words that had long since lost their meaning to him. She shook her head and slumped over to their nest. No! How could she be done playing already? They were just getting started! He tumbled and rolled until he was near her and then slapped at her foot. She yelped and pulled it back with a snarl, yelling at him but he paid no mind.

When she laid back down, he crouched near her feet and gave a toe a sniff and she jerked her foot back. What was this? He sat back some and then proceeded to give her foot a lick. She gave a mighty shriek and yanked her foot back with so much force, she ended up nearly kicking him. Ok, play time was over. The female was grumpy now. He huffed at her, snorting some and romping around a little more before he finally calmed down. He crawled up behind her and she wrinkled her nose at him, muttering something else. He contentedly laid on his stomach behind her, throwing an arm over her waist and he felt her tense almost immediately. He curled his arm some, bringing her closer so she had no choice but to give in. It was almost light outside, time to sleep. Time to rest for the next hunt. Or the next playtime if the female was in the mood!

He huffed and snuffled at her with a pleased feeling, his snout buried against her hair as he began to doze off. Keeping the female was a good idea. He liked playing. The other Hunters were too below him though, too focused on their own instincts to be able to play right. He found a piece of her hair in his mouth and he chewed on it absently as he dozed off.


End file.
